Thursday

I RECEIVED the following article from a British citizen warrior and thought it was worthy of reprinting, which I am doing with permission. I think the idea has merit. It has an intelligent, potentially viral quality to it. What do you think?

INTRODUCTION

The idea in the following text is being set forth for consideration by all who mourn the deaths of those who died at the hands of Islamic Supremacists on September 11th, 2001 on United Airlines Flight 93. I must emphasize at the outset that the approach is intended solely as a form of memorial and an aid in the healing process and is not meant to be interpreted as any form of political or religious communication. As many are aware, actions of a political or religious nature are forbidden in most workplaces. When others pick up this approach and hopefully disseminate it through blogs, websites and other media, it is hoped that they would keep this important point regarding the nature of the activity in mind.

BACKGROUND

United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into the ground in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 11th, 2001 at 10:03:11 AM. Substantial evidence exists that the crash was preceded by a revolt among the passengers and crew against the Islamic Supremacist hijackers who had earlier taken over the airliner. This was the first time in recent history in which the intended victims of an Islamic Supremacist assault have been able to resist and thwart their plans.

PROPOSED ACTION

The people who took part in this act of resistance and died deserve to be memorialized. Therefore, we encourage everyone to set their watches to alarm at 10:03 AM, on a daily basis, as an audible form of memorial. This alarm can also serve as a reminder, at that time, to reflect upon the sacrifice which was made by the Flight 93 crew members and passengers.

Of course, we realize that the crash took place at 10:03 AM (Eastern Standard Time), meaning that some people in other time zones might view a more appropriate time to memorialize would be in their own respective times which would correspond with 10:03 AM EST. However, a pursuit of such an option would significantly confuse things. Therefore, we urge that you honor the time of 10:03 AM, irrespective of the time zone.

EFFECT OF THE ACTION

In presenting this idea for implementation, it is important that we examine the potential effect of a watch alarm going off at 10:03 AM in various settings. First and foremost, on Mondays through Fridays, most people at this time would be out in the “real world”. Most likely they would be at work. Other options include being in a bus, subway, train or airliner. On weekends, they could possibly be at a movie, sports event or religious activity. The possibilities are numerous. In each of these instances it is highly probable that the person wearing the alarming watch will be accompanied by someone whom they already know. It is also reasonable to presume that this nearby person will ask the wearer of the watch why the alarm went off. This would, in turn, give the watch wearer the perfect opportunity to explain the memorial purpose of the alarm. If the explanation inspires the listener, they, too, may begin to set their own watch at 10:03 AM. And so on.

It is conceivable that many people who hear the alarm (as in a work meeting) and are unaware of its meaning may quickly view it as an insignificant interruption. Two alarms from two different people going off at the same time in the same setting changes the picture entirely. This will cause everyone to realize that something is going on. It will also show each respective wearer of the alarming watches that they are not alone in their state of mourning. Depending on the type of setting, such a situation may lead to an exponential increase in the number of watches alarming at 10:03 AM.

HANDLING POTENTIAL OBJECTIONS

Multiple watches simultaneously alarming in most non-work settings would not seem to pose a problem. If some people object, so be it. This now brings us to the thorny question of work environments which are "politically correct" (quite prevalent in Europe). Supervisors or Human Resources personnel may (incorrectly) say that the watch alarm is "offensive" political or religious speech and cannot be tolerated. As stated above (and hopefully in any distributions by others of this concept), this activity was intended at the very outset as a way in which a person can cope with their grieving over this specific incident on September 11th, 2001 and assist in healing. As such, an employee in such a situation could argue that a company in such a situation is trying to interfere with their psychological and spiritual health and well being. They could point out that no employer would be disrespectful of the coping mechanisms of an employee who recently lost a family member. With this in mind, we could ask on what basis would they have to interfere here? Who defines the time limits of mourning? Who can say how long it takes to recover? In fact, it is possible that some of those who alarm their watches will actually be personal friends or family members (distant or close) of the non-Islamic Supremacist individuals on Flight 93. A quick internet search can reveal details regarding their respective lives.

Of course, a politically correct employer who provides time for fellow Islamic Supremacist employees (if any) to take time out of the work day for multiple prayers would seem to stand on flimsy grounds in objecting to the watch alarms. The watch wearer could invoke similar claims of religious rights, if a company makes religious concessions to others. After all, the border between mourning and religious beliefs can be quite porous in some individuals. However, this action is specifically intended to be of a “mourning” nature and does not have a religious emphasis. Whether an individual goes that extra step into the religious realm, in the face of various pre-existing religious practices in the workplace being practiced and tolerated is up to them.

There is also the possibility that, quite coincidentally, some people at work who have their watches set at 10:03 AM could be doing so to remind them to perform some medically necessary task, such as taking a vitamin or checking their pulse. The performance of this task could have actually been prescribed by an understanding physician or even an itinerant natural healer. An employer's interference in this, or any other health matter, could be viewed as highly questionable.

Regarding an employer's objection to alarms based on their "interfering with work", the question could be raised to them as to whether they are willing to stop an even worse interference: the ringing of employee cell phones. It would be interesting to see how employees would react to a cell phone prohibition, particularly when considering that so many people are dependent on them for making family arrangements and so forth.

The key thing to do when considering potential employer resistance to watch alarms is to check your employee handbook first. Then, consider the above text and contemplate a suitable response in advance of being questioned. Effective mourning need not require that an alarm run continuously; even one or two "beeps" could have the same effect.

FURTHER ELABORATION ON THE EFFECT OF THIS ACTION

The ultimate effect of all of this is that individual members of the general public will gradually become aware of a considerable amount of sympathy among their fellow citizens for the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93; people who successfully thwarted the heinous plans of Islamic Supremacist hijackers. At some point, this level of sympathy being expressed in daily life will be impressed upon the media and government officials who control much of our public discourse. Effectively, us mourners will finally break out of the limiting internet realm and become visible in the outside world on a daily basis. This is exceedingly important. We need a way for others to outwardly perceive, or at least deduce, our feelings. When people actually "see" that others in the outside world share their own perspective, they will become emboldened and more likely to speak up regarding their own mourning. But as it stands with this writing, people are afraid to "stand out".

It is regrettable that some would view the watch alarms as a political or religious tactic. Again, it must be emphasized that the intent is solely to memorialize and assist in the healing process. If this idea is incorrectly promulgated as any form of political or religious action, employers would have ammunition to ban it.

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comments:

You have a great blog here. I'm a first time visitor, but I'm very impressed. I have a debate site myself where people from around the world debate each other on important issues. I was wondering if we could do a link exchange to help spread some traffic around.

If you would like to, please leave a comment under my "Compadres" page stating that you've added my link and I'll return the favor.

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